Fe-Lines by
The French have long had a love affair with the cat, expressed through centuries of poetry portraying the animal's wit and wonder. Norman R. Shapiro lionizes the feline's limitless allure in this one-of-a-kind collection. Spanning centuries and styles, he draws on she-cats and toms, and an honor roll of French poets, well known and lesser known, who have served as their devoted champions. He reveals the remarkable range of French cat poems, with most works presented here for the first time in English translation. Scrupulously devoted to evoking the meaning and music of the originals, Shapiro also respects the works' formal structures. Pairing Shapiro's translations with Olga Pastuchiv's elegant illustrations, Fe-Lines guides the reader through the marvels and inscrutabilities of the Mystique féline.
Night Animals by
The poems inNight Animals, by Yusef Komunyakaa, climb so deeply into the being of various beasts, from cricket to leopard to snowy owl, that we read them with an uncanny shiver of recognition. Without ever fully abandoning his human skin, Komunyakaa inhabits both the outer and inner lives of these creatures. The images are a brilliant match for the poems, each of Rachel Bliss's surreal animals populate a realm somewhere between our two species--birds with teeth, men with antlers, a duck wearing suspenders. Both image and word are dense and dark, intensely focused around a kind of hunger. The poet has been startling us with his rich, disturbing, and important poems for many years.Night Animals extends Yusef Komunyakaa's remarkable oeuvre.
Wooden Lions by
Wooden Lions is the ultimate animal-lovers' book, with each poem in this amazing collection cradling the soul of a creature. Morton's poetry winds through our connection with the animal spirit, breathlessly binding us forever in their wisdom; their endless lifting up of humankind. This is a celebration of all beasts, reminding us to cherish all those who nurture us. A percentage of these book sales will be donated to animal shelters and facilities across the country. The Lion. The Lioness Come to me. Come to me like the river's roar, like ravens at the morning's door. There's no knock; no bronzed lion to pound and wake, just yawning dawns; the lush daybreaks opening like sunrise. I, your troubadour will sing across your kitchen flo∨ enough warmth to stay the dark; to overtake each fear, each tear the wicked make slip your cheeks. Let my arms be your sacred shore; may loneness haunt you nevermore. I, the flawed, give you my sovereign heart to take-- each bounty, glory, each mistake forgiven; clasping hands through destiny's door. Let us be fearless. Let us roar.
